Fight Back Against Mobile Data Theft and Privacy Breaches

Do
you trust your apps? Is your data on social networks really secure? Like your
PC, the data and information you transmit via your smartphone is susceptible to
privacy breaches.

Over the last few months, we've been covering various issues
pertaining to security, such as encryption,
online safety, and mobile back-up. Mobile privacy is another thing to stay vigilant about, whether you're using a mobile device at work or at home.

Keeping Nefarious Apps at Bay

That new game you just downloaded might be a fun way to kill
time, but it also could be stealing your personal data. Certain apps can
collect information about users' contacts and location. According to a blog
post by the security
company Kaspersky, some "legitimate" apps even collect users'
device ID (the unique ID number for your phone or tablet), IP address, phone
number, and even information about the other
mobile apps on your device.

Android seems to be the platform most affected by malicious
and sneaky apps. But don't feel too safe, iPhone owners: Both Android and iOS
users were exploited by an app called Find
and Call. The app claimed to help you manage your contacts, but it actually
shared your phone's location and address book—without permission.

Luckily, you can fight off these sneaky apps with a mobile security suite. Here are a few with privacy
protection that I recommend:

Norton Mobile Security (Android,
iOS) from Symantec has a
built-in app scanner that will identify and remove apps that contain malware
and greyware (a malicious app that falls somewhere between a piece of normal software
and a virus). It also can scan for potential privacy breaches, such as apps
that leak your personal information off your device.

Kaspersky Internet Security (Android)will block dangerous sites during online banking and shopping. It also will
automatically scan all apps you download to ensure they're not infected with
viruses or malware.

TechSoup donor partner Bitdefender offers a
Mobile
Security app (Android) with a feature called Privacy Advisor. The feature
lets you monitor suspicious apps that could potential leak your private
information. The app will also provide detailed reports on what your installed
apps might be doing in the background without your knowledge.

Lookout (Android) is a
security company strictly dedicated to protecting mobile devices. The app is designed with mobile in
mind, offering features such as protection from click-to-call scams to safe
mobile browsing. The app also has a feature called Privacy
Advisor, which detects the apps that can access your private information.

Managing Fickle Social Networking
Settings

Keeping track of the ever-changing privacy policies of social
networks can be a headache and a half. It seems like social media and social
sharing sites are constantly updating and revising their privacy policies.

I mentioned AVG's
PrivacyFix app (Android, iPhone, browsers) in my January mobile column,
which was launched at CES 2014. I decided to take it for a test spin on my iPhone. The app helps you
manage your various social media and online settings (Facebook, Google,
LinkedIn, etc.) in a single dashboard. PrivacyFix alerts you when a setting
changes or needs attention. It also explains the pros and cons of a certain
setting.

Setting up your dashboard is easy: You simply enter your
social media credentials and PrivacyFix scans for potential fixes. When I
entered my Facebook log-in info, it provided a checklist of settings to check
up on, such as blocking friends' apps, staying out of ads, and closing old
sessions.

I consider myself a well-informed person when it comes to
privacy settings so I was surprised to see what I had neglected. I highly
recommend PrivacyFix for anyone who needs a hand managing their privacy
settings.